1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to pet leash systems that are strapped around a user's waist, so that the system may be hands-free during walking, jogging, or running with the pet. More specifically, the invention relates to a waist-mounted leash system that is hands-free both when the pet is attached and when the pet is not attached to the leash.
2. Related Art
Many leash systems have been developed that are waist- or shoulder-mounted, for reducing the need for users to grasp the leash while walking, exercising, or patrolling with a dog on the leash. Such leash systems are illustrated by Williams (Des. Pat. No. 350,628), Parth (U.S. Pat. No. 2,333,488), Smith (a child restraint, U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,624), and Birchmire III et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,362), McDonough (U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,719), Perrulli (U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,444) and Blake (U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,1890).
Williams discloses a design for a dog leash and belt, having a quick-release buckle on the belt and a quick-release connection between the leash and the belt. The leash connection to the belt appears to be on one side of the belt in a permanent or semi-permanent position. The Williams leash has a latch-hook that hooks onto a D-ring of a dog collar, as does a conventional leash.
Parth discloses a leash harness for use with military or police dogs. The leash is connected by a swivel connector to an integral portion of a belt. The leash extends from the swivel connector, loops through the D-ring on a dog collar, and extends back to near the swivel connector again, for joining of the two ends of the leash near the belt. This system keeps the leash in a permanent position relative to the belt and requires that a portion of leash strap nearly as long as the leash itself must slip through the collar D-ring in order to attach the dog to the leash or to release the dog from the leash. Parth comments that, when the dog is released from the leash, that the leash free end may be tucked through the belt, that is, between the belt and the user's waist or chest, but no more accommodation than that is made for the free end of the leash.
Smith discloses a safety harness for children, which includes a belt, a harness to be worn by the child, and a connection strap between the two. The belt is equipped with many rings fixed to the belt in spaced, permanent positions. The many rings are for hooking many different harness connection straps onto the belt, for securing several children to the user, for example, one on each side of the user, one in front, and one in back. The Smith connection straps each have a snap-hook on each end, one for hooking onto the belt and one for hooking onto the child harness.
Birchmire III et al. discloses a quick-release animal collar and leash that includes conventional automobile seat-belt buckles. The Birchmire III system attaches a flat tab (a male seat-belt connector) to the dog collar or harness, by passing the collar or harness through a ring on the male connector. The male seat-belt connector receives a cooperating female end of the connector on a first end of a leash. The leash has a second seat-belt connector member (a male member) about midway along the leash length and has a hook on the second end of the leash. Thus, the leash may secure the animal to a seat-belt in a car or truck (by use of the seat-belt connectors), or may secure the animal to cord such as a clothesline (by use of the hook). Birchmire III discloses that the male seat-belt connector positioned midway along the leash length may be snapped into the cooperating conventional seat belt in the user's car, or into a cooperating female member on a loop that may be placed on the user's conventional pants or slacks belt. In the case of a loop on the user's conventional belt, the leash would be restrained from lateral movement along the belt by the pants/slacks belt-loops.
McDonough discloses a leash system in which one end of the leash hooks onto the dog collar D-ring, and the other end is permanently connected to a belt at a leash attachment point. The McDonough leash has a handle loop along the mid-section of the leash as well as a two rings along the mid-section. One of the two rings may be placed on a hook on the belt a fixed distance from the leash attachment point to shorten the leash while still attached to the dog and, hence, bring the dog up close to the user. The other of the two rings may be used for attachment of a second leash for a second dog.
Perrulli discloses a leash system with a belt that has an elongated slide member about half the length of the belt and secured at its ends to the belt. A ring may slide along the slide member and a leash may be hooked to the ring, so that the leash may slide about 180 degrees around the back of the user of the system.
Blake discloses a belt for wrapping around a user's waist and securement by a hook-andloop fastener. The belt has two fixed attachment rings sewn onto the belt. A loop may be pulled by the user to pull the belt off of his/her waist, so that the loop effectively becomes a leash and the rest of the belt dangles from the leash.
Still there is needed an effective hands-free leash system that is simple, safe, light-weight, and easy-to-use. There is a need for such a leash system that is not bulky, is not prone to entanglements, but is quick to use in all circumstances. There is a need for a leash system that may allow complete hands-free use for either the serious athlete or the occasional walker/jogger who wants a pet to accompany him/her either for companionship, motivation, pet exercise, and/or for safety. The invented leash system meets these needs.